A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that a former Senior
Special Assistant to ex-Senate President, Bukola Saraki – Mohammed
Toyin Jimoh Sanusi – and one other be remanded in prison following
their arraignment on charges of forgery and conspiracy.
Justice Okon Abang ordered that Sanusi and Miss Onyinye
Janefrances Nwoye, an official of the Nigerian Immigration Service
(NIM) – with the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Immigration, on
Grande Level 10 – remain in prison until they are able to meet the
conditions attached to the bail granted them.
Sanusi and Nwoye were arraigned on a four-count charge in which
they were accused of forging documents to procure Nigeria’s
official passport, meant for senior government officials for
Sanusi, who was presented as Deputy Director at the State House
Medical Centre Abuja.
They were alleged to have committed the offences with another
senior Immigration official named: Sidikat Bidemi Babatunde, who is
said to be at large.
In his statement filed in court, Sanusi said he worked as
Personal Assistant to the former Senate President’s late father,
Abubakar Olusola Saraki (between 2002 and 2007), Chairman of Ilorin
West Local Government (between 2007 and 2010), Chief of Staff to
while the ex-Senate President was the Governor of Kwara State
(2011-2015) and Senior Special Assistant on Political Matters to
Saraki as Senate President (2015-2018).
Sanusi and Nwoye pleaded not guilty when the charge marked:
FHC/ABJ/CR/170/2019 was read to them, following which the lead
prosecuting lawyer, Collins Obilor urged the court to set a date
for the commencement of trial.
Obilor also prayed the court to remand the defendants in prison
pending the date set for trial.
Lawyers to the defendants, Lukman Fagbemi (for Sanusi) and
Kelvin Mejulu (for Nwoye) applied orally for bail for their
clients.
In a ruling, Justice Abang granted the defendants bail at
N1million and one surety each in like sum.
The judge said the sureties, who must own landed property in
Abuja, worth N1m, must depose to affidavit of means and their
willingness to forfeit such an amount if any of the defendant jumps
bail.
He adjourned until December 9, 2019 for the prosecution to open
its case and ordered that the defendants be kept in prison until
they are able to meet the bail conditions.
Part of the charge reads: “That you Sanusi Mohammed Toyin Jimoh
(M), of House B 53, Taslee Palm City Estate, Wuse 2, Abuja, and
you, Nwoye Janefrances Onyinye, (f), of Aco Estate, Road 2, Airport
Road Abuja, and you Sidikat Bidemi Batunde, (f), of the Nigeria
Immigration Service FCT Command, Abuja, on or about the 14th day of
June, 2019, at the Nigeria Immigration Service Headquarters Abuja,
within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit an
offence, to wit; knowingly making false statements for the purpose
of procuring Official Nigeria Passport for one Sanusi Mohammed
Toyin Jimoh, by introducing him to be a Deputy Director, State
House Medical Centre, Abuja, and submitting forged documents in
that regard to the Nigeria Immigration Service, knowing that he is
not an eligible Government Official, you thereby committed the
above stated offence punishable under Section 10(1)(h), of the
Nigeria Immigration Act, 2015.
Read Also; Court orders forfeiture of Saraki’s two houses in
Ikoyi
“That you Sanusi Mohammed Toyin Jimoh (m), of House B 53, Taslee
Palm City Estate, Wuse 2, Abuja, and you, Nwoye Janefrabces Onyinye
(f), of Aco Estate, Road 2, Airport Road Abuja, and you Sidikat
Bidemi Batunde, (F), of the Nigeria Immigration Service, FCT
Command, Abuja, on or about the 14th day of June, 2019, at the
Nigeria Immigration Service Headquarters Abuja, did commit an
offence to wit; forgery, by fraudulently making official letter
head paper of the State House Abuja, submitting a forged letter of
promotion to the post of Deputy Director GL15 purporting same to
have been issued by the State House Abuja, and submitting a forged
official identification card with the passport photograph of one
Sanusi Mohammed Toyin Jlmoh, also purporting same to have been
issued by the State House Abuja, for the purpose of procuring
official Nigeria Passport for Mr. Sanusi Mohammed Toyin Jimoh,
supposing him to be a Deputy Director at the State House Medical
Centre Abuja you thereby committed the above stated offence
punishable under Section 364, of the Penal Code Act, (Cap 89 Laws
of Northern Nigeria 1963).
“That you Sanusi Mohammed Toyin Jimoh (M), of House B 53, Taslee
Palm City Estate, Wuse 2, Abuja, and you, Nwoye Janefrabces Onyinye
(f), of Aco Estate, Road 2, Airport Road Abuja, and you Sidikat
Bidemi Batunde, (F), of the Nigeria Immigration Service FCT
Command, Abuja, on or about the 14th day of June, 2019, at the
Nigeria Immigration Service Headquarters Abuja, did commit an
offence to wit; aiding the illegal procurement of Nigeria official
passport by providing financial assistance and other illegal
breeder documents for the purpose of using them to procure Nigeria
official passport for one Sanusi Mohammed Toyin Jimoh (m), knowing
that he is not an eligible government official, you thereby
committed the above stated offence punishable under Section
10(1)(h), of the Nigeria Immigration Act, 2015.”
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Read more alleged-forgery-court-sends-sarakis-ex-aide-immigration-official-to-prison/
Professor Zulum Borno Governor
Gov Zulum Hosts Commissioners to a Retreat in Damasak,
the Reclaimed Boko Haram ‘Caliphate’
Borno’s Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum is currently
chairing his administration’s first retreat for commissioners,
special advisers and more senior government officials like the
secretary to the state government, head of service and chief of
staff in Damasak, headquarters of Mobbar local government area in
northern Borno, which has remained a shadow of Itself since it was
occupied by boko haram as a caliphate.
Damasak, hitherto a major agricultural community in the fringes
of the Lake Chad that is less than 10 kilometres away from Diffa in
Niger Republic, was occupied and administered by boko haram from
November, 2014 to 2016 before it was recovered by multinational
forces. Damasak had come under repeated attacks including early
this year. Thousands of citizens who live there mostly depend on
food aide and skeletal businesses.
Zulum, told commissioners in opening remarks on Saturday
evening, that the choice of Damasak, was to bring top government
officials “face to face with the realities” on ground and to remind
them their appointments were not opportunities for luxury but for
the serious task ahead of them.
“By tradition, retreats are held in the most serene and
oftentimes, luxurious environments. However, holding retreats
under serene atmosphere is reserved for those who live and operate
under normal circumstances. Fellow members of the state executive
council, I will like to remind us very strongly that our
circumstances in Borno State are not normal. If we decide to hold
our retreat in Maiduguri, Abuja or perhaps at Obudu Cattle ranch in
Cross Rivers state, we may not totally true to ourselves and
sensitive to the plight of our people. The wisdom of convening this
retreat in Damasak, headquarters of Mobbar local government area in
the most troubled northern part of Borno State, is to bring all of
us, face to face with the realities of our challenges in Borno.
Driving from Maiduguri to this place, we have passed major towns
like Gubio and Kareto which have become near ghosts of what they
used to be. We have seen villages that are without human
occupation. We have seen on the road, soldiers at different points,
clearly indicating that all is not normal with Borno”
“Damasak, where we are today, used to be one of Borno’s
agro-economic centres. Damasak used to be a large scale producer
and exporter of farm produce like tomatoes, pepper and other
vegetables. Thousands of wealthy farmers and transporters, other
fellow citizens have been killed, displaced to Niger Republic and
forced to become beggars. We are here to remind ourselves that the
oath of offices we differently took in May, June, August and
September, 2019 is not for luxury. Borno has serious challenges and
we have individually sworn with the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Bible
to do whatever we can in trying to address the challenges facing
Borno State” the Governor said.
Zulum also tasked the commissioners, advisers and other
participants to see Damasak as an example that tells the realities
of the 27 local government areas in the state. He also said
time-lines were going to be created for the attainment of goals
determined at the retreat.
“At this retreat, ladies and gentlemen, we shall not only come
up with ideas that are achievable but insha’Allah, we shall be
setting for ourselves time-lines within which we are to achieve
every goal we aim.We are here to spend only few days in Damasak but
there are thousands of our fellow brothers and sisters, fathers and
mothers, who live here on permanent basis. We are here to feel
their stay and to remind us of their needs for continued safety;
their needs for shelter; their needs for medical care; their needs
for water; their needs for schools; their needs for means of
livelihoods. When we drove into this lodge, we saw hundreds of our
young sons and daughters welcoming us happily. We saw wives,
sisters, mothers and fathers joining they welcome us. Whereas they
all wore happy faces, we know that majority of them are in
distress. We should therefore regard Damasak as an example of the
realities facing all of our 27 local government areas, particularly
those in northern Borno.” the Governor charged.
Before the Governor’s remarks, secretary to the state
government, Usman Jidda Shuwa said the retreat for which he
commended the Governor’s ingenious choice of location, was meant
for top government officials to cross fertilize ideas towards
better service delivery in line with Governor Zulum’s vision and
approach to governance. The retreat had resource persons who
discussed topics peculiar to the challenges facing the state and
suggestions on ways to solving them.